CRUEL INTENTIONS: THE 90’S MUSICAL⚝⚝⚝⚝
THE OTHER PALACE, LONDON
We are approaching Cruel Intentions the 90s Musical in the same way we approach a Long Island Iced Tea. It has a lot of great ingredients. Tequila, Yes. Gin, Yes, Rum. Yes, Yes, Yes!. But once they are mixed and drunk they can lead to some of the best, or worst nights out. Time to sip and swallow, rejoice or repent.
The Cruel Intentions musical cocktail, created by Jordan Ross, Lindsey Rosin and Roger Kumble, has a recipe with a solid reputation. The story has heritage. Inspired by the French novel Les Liaisons Dangereuse (which also became the movie Dangerous Liaisons) it took a sharp left turn from that award-winning film to become the 90s young adult movie Cruel Intentions starring teen heartthrobs of that decade Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillippe.
Combine that with ingredients that include some of the most famous and fun tunes of the 90s. Namely Genie in a Bottle (Christina Aguilera), No Scrubs (TLC) Torn (Natalie Imbruglia), I Saw the Sign (Ace of Base), Losing My Religion (REM) and Bittersweet Symphony (The Verve) amongst others. A little sickly sweet but definitely a good buzz.
It’s the story of two privileged toxic Manhattan high school step siblings Sebastian Valmont (Daniel Bravo) and Kathryn Merteuil (Rhianne-Louise McCaulsky) who decide to entertain themselves by ruining the reputations of two good girls, the headmaster’s chaste daughter Annette Hargrove (Abbie Budden) and the temporarily virginal Cecile (Rose Galbraith)
To cut to the chaser and get on to the shot, Cruel Intentions, with its high school camp shenanigans, is peak Glee. In the best possible way. It’s an absolute romp of a show. Directed by Jonathan O’Boyle it’s funny, in an archly adult way, and with a ripping pace it’s got all the good giggle juice. Mix and shake that with the best hits of that decade and it has the feel-good factor that only top-shelf alcohol can provide.
In a well-cast show a few performances still managed to rise to the top. Rhianne-Louise McCaulsky puts more body into her role than Xena Warrior Princess. All eyes were on her. Her gorgeous voice made it impossible to think of the pop songs as mimicry. She ate them all up. Rose Galbraith, as Cecile, was the under-the-radar scene stealer ladling out lascivious grimaces as she bestowed her innocent bloom on more people than the Chelsea Flower Show.
And so, there it is. All party and no regrets. A full-bodied adult night out that plays with nostalgia without lazily relying on it. A reminder of those peak 90s party days without needing three days to recover. Cheers.
Queerguru Contributing Editor ANDREW HEBDEN is a MEDIA and cultural STUDIES graduate spending his career between London, Beijing, and NYC as an expert in media and social trends. As part of the expanding minimalist FIRE movement, he recently returned to the UK and lives in Soho. He devotes as much time as possible to the movies, theatre, and the gym. His favorite thing is to try something (anything) new every day”
